97.5 WFHR and 105.5 WIRI. Your Wisconsin Rapids Home, or locally grown radio. Here's your Daily News Roundup.
From the Wisconsin Rapids local newsroom, I'm Melissa K.
The field of Democratic candidates for Wisconsin governor includes former and current state officials, business leaders and county executives.
But one candidate feels a category all his own is a bellignato has more.
Zachary Roper is the youngest candidate in the race. He's 22 years old and a student at Carthage College.
He spoke with WXCO's Chad Holmes on Wednesday morning.
Being young is an advantage because I'm focused on where Wisconsin needs to be, not just in this election, but in 2035 and 2040.
Roper said he wants to increase the age 18 to 35 population in the state.
He says they're the ones who build businesses, homes and families.
What I would do is bolster the education systems. We need better education systems. My mom's a teacher.
She has been a teacher for 25 years and she tells me the struggles with what goes on with the public education system and how we need more federal funding.
He also says he wants to attract more companies to set up shop in Wisconsin.
Roper also took aim at the state legislature, saying he wasn't happy with how the 2025-27 biennial budget turned out.
We basically caved in and just allowed the Republicans to do what they want to do.
He has some ideas on what would improve the legislature, including having one Republican and one Democratic majority chamber.
We're allowed for more people to see what they go back and forth and what the budget they wanted to see to be done.
Roper faces a crowded field of Democrats in the August primary. I'm Sibelignato.
With winter warm spells becoming more and more common, be careful when you walk on ice.
Meteorologist Brittany Merlot breaks it down.
The walk you just hit nearly 60 degrees and even Minneapolis reached the low 40s.
That's spring melting weather, causing significant ice loss on the Great Lakes in just one week.
They dropped from 15% down to a mere 5% ice coverage.
Inland lakes are having the same problem, thinning ice and slushy open waters are revealing themselves.
If you break through, the Coast Guard rushes out.
We have a ice rig and airboat ready to go.
It usually takes us about 10 minutes to get on the road and then depending on how long it takes us to actually drive to location.
That's Coast Guard, Sturgeon Bay, BM3, Evan Paffley.
With the clock ticking and your life in the icy waters, how long do you have to survive?
It's the 110-1 rule.
You have like one minute to catch your breath before you start freaking out in the hyperventilating.
And then you have 10 minutes of meaningful movements.
You'll start to have issues with like moving your fingers, toes and then generally speaking like you have usually about an hour.
Gusty wins, shove and heave ice sheets around, causing them to weaken, where one spot may be a foot thick and then taking your next step could be just inches.
Ice flows are the main causes people go out ice fishing.
There'll be a crack in the ice and then the window end up blowing a large chunk of ice with people on it and people just start floating away.
No ice is completely safe ice, but clear ice is thicker compared to snow covered, milky or bubbly looking ice.
Also avoid inlets, outlets and narrows that have currents running underneath and always bring ice picks with you and a rope.
I'm meteorologist Brittany Marlowe.
The Marshfield Police Department is conducting a joint training exercise with Marshfield Fire and Rescue and Marshfield Clinic today.
It will take place at the Marshfield Medical Center Russell Lewis Building between 2 and 5 pm.
You may notice an increased presence of emergency vehicles and first responders in the area.
This is a scheduled and controlled exercise and there is no danger to the public.
A bill at the State Capitol that would expand healthcare options for some farmers is inching forward in the legislature.
Under Senate Bill 450, members of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau and other farm co-ops formed before 1922 could get access to health coverage.
12 groups are in favor of the bill including the Wisconsin Farm Bureau which says it provides an option to farmers who are in eligible or cannot afford to enroll in affordable healthcare act plans.
9 groups are against the bill including the Wisconsin Farmers Union which says unregulated health plans in Wisconsin would favor the young and healthy causing an increase to the rest of the insurance market.
The bill got a hearing on Tuesday.
The assembly version is still waiting in committee. A version of the proposal failed to pass in the last legislative session.
Mid-state Technical College is offering a new AI data specialist program. This 63 credit associate of applied science degree begins in the spring semester which starts January 26th.
The two-year program is shared with Waukesha County Technical College. Students would be able to complete the full program locally with a mix of online classes at WCTC and both in-person and online classes at Mid-state.
You can find more information and register at mstc.edu.
Local news at the top and bottom of every hour throughout the day or on demand any time at WFHR.com and WIRI.FM. From the Wisconsin Rapids Local Newsroom, I'm Melissa K.
A timeout for Wisconsin on my Clemens with sports men's college basketball an up and down start to the season Wisconsin now on a roll wins over three big 10 teams in a row.
We'll see you in the next CLA Michigan and Minnesota up next they host Rutgers Saturday afternoon at one great guard.
We need a day off. We've had a long. This has been a hack of a three day or three game grind. So we'll get some rest tomorrow and then use them last two days of the week to prep for Saturday.
NBA the Bucks in San Antonio tonight to take on the spurs NFL the Bears host the Rams Sunday night at 5 30 in the playoffs after beating the Packers last weekend in Chicago.
Lucas Van Ness. Yeah, you know, that hurts. You know, I got to get credit to them. They found a way to finish in the fourth quarter last two times.
You played them and, you know, unfortunately that just that comes down our finish and we didn't do enough defensively to hold our lead.
And, you know, that's going to sink for a while. That's Packers defensive and Lucas Van Ness with sports on Mike Clemens.
I meet a religious brand in Bourbon's increasing clouds today with light snow developing later in the afternoon high temperatures in the lower 20s.
For tonight, light snow showers to continue temperatures rising into the mid 20s, more light snow on Friday, total snow accumulations of two to four inches.